Cycle Count ≠ Charging Times!
A Mistake 90% of Users Have Made
Looopfone
12/26/2025
When buying a used iPhone, the battery cycle count is the key metric for judging its lifespan. However, many users confuse "cycle count" with "charging times".
Apple’s official definition states: a full cycle refers to the process of draining the battery from 100% to below 20%, then fully recharging it.
In contrast, a charging time simply refers to each time you plug in and unplug the charger — even a 10% top-up counts as a charging time, but does not count as a cycle.
Official standards indicate that after 500 cycles, the battery capacity should remain at ≥ 80%, and after 1,000 cycles, it will approximately degrade to 70%. There is a clear correlation between cycle count and battery health,If the data does not match this correlation, it is highly likely that the seller has tampered with it:
95%+ health ≈ ≤ 400 cycles
90%+ health ≈ ≤ 600 cycles
85%+ health ≈ ≤ 800 cycles
Steps to check cycle count:
Settings → Battery → Battery Health & Charging
It is recommended that you perform this check in person when making a purchase, instead of relying on screenshots provided by the seller.
